After the judo team, women’s chess team is the second team in Georgian sport which won World Team Championship.

Today Georgian National Olympic Committee (GNOC) hosted world champion women’s chess team. Head coach Elizbar Ubilava and team members Lela Javakhishvili and Salome Melia did not participate in the meeting for some reasons.

Leri Khabelov, president of GNOC, 5-time world champion Nona Gaprindashvili, Zurab Azmaiparashvili, president of European Chess Federation, and Gia Giorgadze, president of Georgian Chess Federation, made their speeches.

Leri Khabelov: “I want to congratulate the Georgian chess players on such great success.

We are holding this meeting late because we are waiting for Mrs. Nona to come back in Georgia. She participated in European Senior Championship and took the first place among women. Mrs. Nona had a birthday on May 3 – she turned 74. Happy birthday, Mrs. Nona! I wish you good health and long life!

The Georgian Parliament and government supported the Georgian women’s chess team with the whole Georgia. International Olympic Committee has recognized FIDE international sport federation and now we have to pay more attention to chess…”

Nona Gaprindashvili: “What the Georgian women’s chess team did is a very important event not only for the Georgian Chess Federation but the whole Georgia. The Georgian chess had and has great traditions but we did not have success at team championship and now this success has come. I want to note good play of Bela Khotenashvili and young Meri Arabidze. A lot depends on team leader and Khotenashvili did a great job in absence of Dzagnidze. As for Arabidze, the Georgian team added a good player. Arabidze competed in World Individual Championship well and got in 8 best players…”

Gia Giorgadze: “I want to congratulate the whole once again. The players were preparing for each game during the whole day. None of them complained about anything.

Happy birthday, Mrs. Nona! Your support is very important for every Georgian chess players…”

Zurab Azmaiparashvili: “I congratulate everybody on this great success. Several days before the end of World Championship I arrived in China. I did not want to show up. Only Gia Giorgadze knew that I was in China.

I am proud that I am one of those who decided to appoint Elizbar Ubilava as a head coach of women’s team.

I want to thank our ladies for what they have done for the Georgian chess and the whole Georgia.

Happy birthday, Mrs. Nona! And I promise next year we will celebrate your birthday specially”.

After the end of the event Khabelov awarded the team members, captain and international grandmaster Davit Jojua, head coach Elizbar Ubilava, Gia Giorgadze and Nona Gaprindashvili with GNOC medals and prizes.